Punch Bag Types Explained: Which Bag Should You Buy?

A punch bag is the one piece of boxing kit that turns a spare corner into a gym. The trouble is that "punch bag" covers a dozen different things, from a 6ft leather heavyweight bag on a ceiling hook to a water-filled column you can slide behind the sofa. Buy the wrong type and it either will not fit, will not hang, or will not do the job you bought it for.

This guide walks through every type Boxfit UK stocks, who each one suits, and the questions to answer before you order. If you would rather talk it through, call 01708 320320 (option 3).

First question: can you hang it?

Everything starts here. A hanging bag needs a ceiling joist, a wall bracket into solid masonry, or a freestanding frame. A 30kg bag swinging on a hook puts far more than 30kg of load through the fixing, so plasterboard, a garage roof truss you have not checked, or a rented flat rule it out.

• You own the space and have a solid ceiling or wall: a hanging bag on a bracket or ceiling fitting is the best training tool and the best value.
• You cannot drill: a free standing punch bag with a fillable base, or a freestanding frame that holds a hanging bag without touching the building.

Hanging punch bags

Heavy bags

The classic cylinder, 3ft to 6ft long and 20kg to 60kg. This is what you picture when you think of a boxing gym. A 4ft bag around 30kg suits most adults training at home. Go to 5ft or 6ft if you want to work low body shots and kicks, or if you are a heavyweight who moves a lighter bag too much. See extra heavy punch bags for the biggest.

Leather versus synthetic

Leather punch bags are the club choice: they take years of punishment, feel better on the knuckles and do not go shiny. Synthetic leather and canvas bags cost less and are perfectly good for home use where one person hits them a few times a week.

Angled and uppercut bags

An uppercut or 3-in-1 bag has a wider top or an angled section that lets you throw uppercuts and hooks at realistic angles instead of straight punches only. If you have room for one bag and you box rather than kickbox, this is the most versatile choice.

Wall units

Uppercut wall units bolt flat to the wall and do not swing. They are brilliant for close-range work and hooks, take up almost no floor space, and suit a garage wall where a swinging bag would hit the car.

Kickboxing and Muay Thai bags

Banana bags run 5ft to 6ft and hang low so you can kick and knee. If you train Muay Thai or MMA, buy one of these rather than a boxing heavy bag.

Maize bags and speed balls

A maize bag is a small teardrop that swings on a chain, for head movement and short hooks. A speed ball on a platform teaches rhythm and keeps your hands up. Neither replaces a heavy bag, but both make a good second piece.

Free standing punch bags

A free standing bag is a column or a body-shaped target on a base you fill with water or sand. Nothing to drill, and you can move it. The trade-offs: it moves when you hit it hard, the base takes floor space, and the feel is softer than a hanging bag. For a flat, a rented house, or anyone who wants to train without touching the building, it is the right answer. Century's Wavemaster and Bob body opponent bags are the ones our customers come back for, alongside Rival and Tuf Wear.

Water punch bags

Water bags hang like a heavy bag but fill with water, which gives a feel closer to hitting a body and is kinder on your hands and elbows. They are a good choice for anyone with sore knuckles or wrists, and they ship light because you fill them at home.

Kids punch bags

Kids bags are shorter and lighter, usually 2ft to 3ft, so a child can move them and enjoy it. Pair one with a set of junior gloves and hand wraps.

What weight of bag?

A rough rule: a hanging bag around half your bodyweight. A 70kg boxer is well served by a 30kg to 35kg bag. Too light and it swings away from you; too heavy and it will not move at all, which is hard on the joints. Heavier boxers, and anyone who kicks, go bigger.

Do not forget

• Fixings. Ceiling hooks, wall brackets and chains are sold separately on most bags. Check the product page and see brackets, frames and fixings.
• Gloves and wraps. Never hit a bag bare-handed. Bag gloves and hand wraps protect the small bones in your hands.
• Filled or unfilled. Most of our bags ship filled. Unfilled bags are cheaper to post and you fill them with rags, sand or a mix. The product page says which.

Quick answer

• Own the space, can drill: 4ft leather heavy bag on a wall bracket, or an uppercut 3-in-1
• Cannot drill: a free standing bag or a freestanding frame
• Sore hands: a water bag
• Kickboxing or Muay Thai: a 5ft or 6ft banana bag
• Garage wall, no swing: a wall unit

Browse all punch bags, or call 01708 320320 (option 3) with your space and your training and we will recommend one.